Forward controls are common on motorcycles coming from the factory and also as an aftermarket application.
They will typically be mounted on the side of the motorcycle, usually the left side, and mounted directly to the frame or possibly the engine assembly.
The prior art assembly basically consists of a protruding footrest, commonly referred to as a footpeg.
The driver's foot rests on the footpeg when in the riding position and also while shifting gears.
Forward and slightly above the footpeg, there is a shift lever. The shift lever is used to shift the transmission into a lower or higher gear as necessary. The shift lever is connected to the transmission by a long rod, to be referred to as a shift rod, which moves forward or aft when the shift lever is activated. When the shift lever is depressed, it pulls the shift rod forward, actuating a mechanism in the transmission to change to a different gear, usually a lower gear, as when coming to a stop, commonly referred to as downshifting. When it is desirable to shift to a higher gear, commonly referred to as upshifting, the toe of the foot must be placed under the shift lever and pulled up, moving the shift rod rearward, activating the transmission to switch to a higher gear. This upward movement of the shift lever is repeated until desired gear is reached. The continued pulling up movement, over the course of a ride, can result in muscle fatigue, which can cause discomfort and possibly shortening said ride prematurely. Also with the prior art assembly, the repeated pulling up movement can eventually cause a wear mark to appear on top of the shoe or boot, thus ruining them.